Jedediah SmithRedwoods

State Park

Redwood National and State Parks

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park1111 2nd Street

Crescent City, CA 95531(707) 458-3018 (Entrance Station)

(707) 458-3496 (Visitor Center)

© 2003 California State Parks (Rev. 2007) Printed on Recycled Paper

Our MissionThe mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Cover Photo by Stephen Corley. Copyright: Save-the-Redwoods League.

www.parks.ca.gov

California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at the phone number below. To receive this publication in an alternate format, write to the Communications Office at the following address.

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKSP. O. Box 942896

Sacramento, CA 94296-0001For information call: (800) 777-0369

(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.711, TTY relay service

Discover the many states of California.™

Coast redwood forests grow naturally only in a narrow strip

along the Pacific coastline from central California into southern Oregon.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park protects 10,000 acres

of these first-growth, primeval treasures.

The scenic Smith River

edediah Smith Redwoods State Park, named for an American explorer of extra-ordinary courage, is a feast for the eye. The park protects 10,000 acres of primeval redwood groves, a lush undergrowth of rho-dodendrons and azaleas, and banks of ferns against giant fallen trees.

Here at the confluence of the Smith River and Mill Creek, summer temperatures range from 45 to 85 degrees, in contrast to the cool, fog-bound coast. Winter usually brings about 100 inches of rain per season, with temperatures averaging between 30 and 65 degrees. Snow is rare.

PARK HISTORYThe Tolowa people of this area shared a similar culture with such groups as the Yurok, Hupa, Karok and Chilula. Their lives were secure and well ordered until settlers depleted their resources and brought radical envi-ronmental changes and conflict. European diseases to which the Tolowa had no im-munity decreased their numbers, and many were sent to the Smith River Reservation. Part of the site of Camp Lincoln, built in 1862 as a buffer between the native people and the settlers, is located in the park. Tolowa descendents are still present in northern California, and many continue to practice the old traditions.

WHO WAS JededIAH SmITH? Jedediah Strong Smith was the first non-native known to have traveled overland from the

Mississippi River, across the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific coast. In 1821, at the age of 22, he came west and joined the fur-trapping party of General William Ashley. By late 1826 the enterprising young man and two partners had bought out General Ashley. Smith led his party across southern Utah, Nevada, Arizona, the Mojave Desert and Cajon Pass to Mission San Gabriel, where they rested for two months.

When Mexican Governor José María Echeandía ordered them to leave,

Smith headed north into the San Joaquin Valley. In May 1827 he

went back to Utah to recruit more trappers, but as they re-crossed the Colorado River the formerly friendly

Mohave Indians attacked, killing ten men. When Smith

and his surviving men reached Mission San José he was arrested

and sent to Governor Echeandía at Mon-terey. Again ordered out of the province, the party went north through the redwoods, reaching the Smith River in June 1828. Two years later Smith and his partners sold their business and returned to St. Louis. But in 1831 he felt the lure of the Santa Fe Trail. While seeking water during his last wagon train west, he was killed in a Comanche ambush along the Cimarron River.

Jedediah Smith’s wish was to be “the first to view a country on which the eyes of a white man had never gazed and to follow the course of rivers that run through a new land.” His reports on the geology and ge-

ography of the western territories appeared in newspapers of the day, proving that the Sierra Nevada could be safely crossed to reach California. In a remarkably few years, his travels, observations and notes filled in many blank spaces on the map.

COAST RedWOOd COunTRYCalifornia’s coast redwoods follow the fog and thrive in continuous belts at elevations below 2,000 feet, where heavy winter rains and mod-erate year-round temperatures occur. Heights sometimes reach 350 feet or more, with a base diameter of about 20 feet. Their root systems are broad and shallow, from only a few inches to six feet underground.

The oldest coast redwoods are about 2,000 years of age and show no signs of dying out. They resist insects, fire and rot to a remark-able degree, and their vigor in sprouting back when cut or badly burned is an impor-tant factor in their longevity.

PlAnT COmmunITIeSFeathery ferns, redwood sorrel, salal, tril-lium, Douglas iris and tiger lily are among the plants that grow beneath redwoods. Salmonberry, thimbleberry and huckleberry

Coast redwood forests grow naturally only in a narrow strip

along the Pacific coastline from central California into southern Oregon.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park protects 10,000 acres

of these first-growth, primeval treasures.

Jedediah SmithRedwoods

State Park

Redwood National and State Parks

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park1111 2nd Street

Crescent City, CA 95531(707) 458-3018 (entrance Station)

(707) 458-3496 (Visitor Center)

© 2003 California State Parks (Rev. 2007) Printed on Recycled Paper

Our MissionThe mission of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

Cover Photo by Stephen Corley. Copyright: Save-the-Redwoods League.

www.parks.ca.gov

California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at the phone number below. To receive this publication in an alternate format, write to the Communications Office at the following address.

CAlIFORnIA STATe PARKSP. O. Box 942896

Sacramento, CA 94296-0001For information call: (800) 777-0369

(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.711, TTY relay service

Discover the many states of California.™

J

provide wildlife forage, and acres of rhododendrons and azaleas bloom from April to June. The area’s warm climate encour-ages many other tree species, including western hemlock, Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, red alder, Cali-fornia laurel, tan oak, madrone and Port Orford cedar, to share the redwood habitat.

WildlifeDeer, gray and Douglas squirrels, redwood chipmunks, raccoons and other small mam-mals are common, and bears and mountain lions are sometimes seen. A rare treat is the sight of an otter playing in the river or a beaver working in a deep pool. The noisy Steller’s jay enjoys stealing food from picnic tables. Other local birds include American dippers, varied thrushes, and several spe-cies of woodpecker, with an occasional ruffed grouse, belted kingfisher, osprey, spotted owl or marbled murrelet.

Saving the RedWoodSCalifornia’s redwood parks are monuments to those whose vision preserved their beau-ty. In 1900 concerned citizens helped to save the coast redwood groves of Big Basin near Santa Cruz, and in 1918 the Save-the-Redwoods League was formed. The names of several memorial groves at Jedediah Smith reflect the generosity of lumbermen who donated them or preserved them until the League could purchase them. When the park was established in 1929, the Frank D.

Stout Memorial Grove became its first dedicated grove. The 5,000-acre National Tribute Grove, dedicated to those who fought during World War II, was purchased with League funds.

In May 1994 Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast and Prairie Creek

Redwoods State Parks joined with Redwood National Park in a coopera-

tive management effort. Their combined 105,516 acres—including lands that represent 36 percent of California’s old-growth redwood forest—were designated Redwood National and State Parks.

RecReational activitieS

A picnic area near the Smith River offers tables and stoves. The swimming beach is popular, but the river can be treacherous, and there is no lifeguard service. Nearby a nature trail winds through a redwood grove.

fishingDepending on the weather, fishing is good from October to February. Catches of 30-pound salmon and 20-pound steelhead are possible during the seasonal runs. During the summer, fishing for cutthroat trout is popular.

campingEach of the 89 sites has a table, fire ring and cupboard, with restrooms nearby. Some sites can accommodate trailers or motorhomes up to 35 feet (no hookups). Reservations are recommended between June and Labor Day.For reservations, call (800) 444-7275 or visit www.parks.ca.gov. Hike and bike campsites near the picnic area are not reservable.

Spotted owl

interpretive activitiesSummer interpretive programs include guided walks, hikes and evening campfires on nature and historical subjects. Check the park bulletin board to see what is scheduled during your stay.

acceSSible featuReS• Fairly level ground around picnic tables• Some campsites and routes to restrooms• Water spigots in the campground• The route from the parking lot to the

visitor center; large print exhibit panels; assistance in the sales area

• The route from the visitor center to the campfire center; firm, level surface and room for wheelchairs

• Restrooms in picnic areaAccessibility is continually improving. Please call the park or visit http://access.parks.ca.gov for the latest information.

neaRby State PaRkS• Tolowa Dunes State Park, five miles north

of Crescent City (707) 465-2145• Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park,

seven miles south of Crescent City (707) 465-2146

PleaSe RemembeR• Stay on established trails to avoid com-

pacting the soil near tree roots.• Park features, including dead wood, rocks,

plants and animals, must not be moved.• Purchase firewood at the park to avoid the

spread of tree diseases.• Do not feed wildlife; secure all food items.

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This park is supported in part through a nonprofit organization.

For information contact: North Coast Redwood Interpretive Assn.

127011 Newton B. Drury Parkway, Orick, CA 95555 • (707) 488-2169

www.ncria.org